


A Little Love

by RebelDrFerguson



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Family, Love, Witchcraft, suggestion to pinkwald, whouffaldi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-17 16:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2315618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelDrFerguson/pseuds/RebelDrFerguson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A trip out to a Halloween planet had seemed a fun idea at first until The Doctor managed to open his mouth and get himself into trouble with a so called witch, The school holidays have arrived and Clara is stuck on earth with the Time Lord, so enter Mr Danny Pink, Clara had plans with The Doctor but instead now must make plans with Danny as well as he tries to help the ‘little’ situation she is having with the resident Time Lord and tantrums about his sonic are not going to stop them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Will change rating to M around chapter 4.

“You talk too much do you know that?” he laughed at the elderly old hag, The small women had threatened to ‘Teach Him A Lesson’ if he did not stop insulting her husband on his knowledge of the planets fuel gages, he laughed louder as she swiped at his legs with her stick. “Get out of her you grey haired stick insect” she shouted before swiping at him again. The Doctor was fed up with the ‘bantering’ and decided to turn tail towards his beloved ship, but of course he not bothered to see the old woman as dangerous, she followed him towards the T.A.R.D.I.S and as soon as she heard him set off set him his little lesson, The Doctor had not seen the little ball of blue light before it was too late. “What ar-!” The next thing he knew was the alarm and then darkness.

* * *

 

Clara had been busy washing dishes, yep, how fun right? That is the domestic life she seemed to want. Kind of. The School holidays were in and she had planned to travel the first week with The Time Lord, She huffed for the fourth time as she racked another plate on the drainage board. The Doctor had promised to come and fix her dishwasher 2 days ago as an IOU for helping him break into the bank. The fact he hadn’t turned up annoyed her for the first 24 hours, now she was just worried. Yes okay, in his last body she could have seen him just being late, but this one, he was so unpredictable and un stable if he missed turning up she would worry he was in trouble. That made her smile. It was hard not to worry about someone you loved. She was so afraid to tell him, she had seen over the course of his life just how hard those 3 words could hurt him even if he felt the same way, the fact she had fallen for him meant he had perhaps fallen twice as far.

She was just about dry the plates when she heard the familiar groan of the T.A.R.D.I.S engine she spun to see it skid into an awkward landing on the lawn tilting violently and she panicked that it would tip over but it thankfully just fell against one of the trees. She tossed the tea towel back on the counter and ran down the apartment block towards the box in terror, the box was caked in mud and dirt with smoke seeping out from under the doors and she stopped to pull her jumper over her mouth and nose before pushing it open. As she expected a massive could of thick white choking smoke flew out and she had to cough a little before she could enter, she struggled to look about, “DOCTOR?!”

She called for him several times before she saw the body on the floor, with a gasp she dashed towards the small figure laying under the coat, scooping him up and dashing back for the door, she pulled the jumper away and gently laid the small boy on the grass lifting the coat to see him. He was breathing, thank goodness. But something about him shocked her, he had grey hair, that sweet silvery white/grey hair that The Doctor had, around his neck was the T.A.R.D.I.S key and in his little hand he clutched the Sonic Screwdriver. The coat she realised was his own; the boy in front of her was no more than 4 maybe 5 years old.

She looked back to the ship, then back to the boy. “Doctor?” The boy didn’t move.

“What on earth happened?” she asked aloud even though neither made any attempt to answer. She stood and shut the T.A.R.D.I.S doors locking them with the key which she found around the boys neck and scooped him back up carefully, carrying back up the stairs into the flat without a second thought. When she got into the flat, she checked him over; he must have hit his head hard against the console as he had a very nasty split above his ear. She did her best to patch it yet with a head so small it was difficult cover up with the padding. She left him wrapped in his cost on her sofa and made two cups of tea, one little and one big. Though once she put it down on the coffee table she wondered if he would really drink that...

It was a good hour later and 2 more cups of tea before the little boy stirred, Clara was busy thinking about making pasta and reading a packet of sauce when she heard her name being called. She entered the living room to see a rather sleepy and confused looking baby Doctor on her sofa, he was pulling at the bandage she had put over the cut. “Ah, no Doctor, don’t touch it” she said gently as she knelt in front of him sticking it back. The Doctor blinked, “Clara...why are you huge?” he asked then paused as he heard himself. “What happened to my voice...why do you look so worried?” he asked looking about to suddenly catch himself in the mirror. “Why am I 5!!” he screeched in terror and shock. Clara winced and grabbed his little arms as he flailed them.

“Doctor, Calm down, look where were you? All I know is the T.A.R.D.I.S crashed...well sort of onto the lawn outside and I found you like this inside...”she said trying her hardest not to just scoop him up and coo. He was so cute. He had to be the cutest 5 year old ever and the eyebrows, well he hadn’t lost his attack eyebrows. The Doctor frowned and Clara bit her lip trying not to giggle. “Look...where were you? Can you remember?” she asked unable to keep the smile off her face. The Doctor continued to frown until it broke suddenly into a wide eyed stare of realisation. “The Witch Clara!” he shouted a bit excitedly. “She was a witch ...ha knew it!” he laughed clapping his little hands together than frowning again as Clara just burst out laughing herself. “I-I am sorry...You, You are just...so cute!”

“I am not cute!” he retorted only to huff as his voice went squeaky. Clara fell about laughing on the other side of the sofa as he continued to pout, which in turn made her laugh even harder. “Careful, you’re going to give yourself a hernia!” he said watching the brunette crying with laugher next to him. He looked back down at himself then back in the mirror, okay, it was kind of funny as he did have it coming, but he was not in the mood to have to find a way to cure it. “Clara, can you stop now and help?” he asked sadly, he did not fancy being stuck like this for very long, “S-Sure...ha, okay...so witch...like spell?” she asked, The Doctor was about to reply when the post arrived. Clara jumped up to collect it, only to find a bill and a little car reading ‘DOCTOR’. “Here it’s for you?” she said handing the 5 year old the little card.

_“Time Lord you will learn for ways, You shall spend the next 5 days, As the child I call you to be, Then your actions you will see.”_

“WHAT THE HELL!” he shouted flapping the card at Clara as he tried to stand up on the sofa, he wobbled rather a bit until he grasped her arm to steady himself and pushed the card in front of her nose. “LOOK” Clara read the note and frowned. “what did you do?” she demanded in full teacher mode, it was clear the Time Lord had gotten himself into trouble with this witch to have her curse him like this. The Doctor looked from the card to her face and back again before a little look of guilt crossed his eyes. “Erm, I might have called her a witch...then insulted her husband as he knew nothing about rift fuel gages...” Clara huffed heavily.

This regeneration had a terrible sense of humour, not to mention he could be rather unconditionally rude just to seem as if he was the one in control. Snatching the little card she tucked in a drawer and knelt back in front of him.. .“Right, so you’re going be like this for 5 days, punishment, you’re staying here, with me, until it is over, no travelling, no jokes and no sonic” she said loudly grabbing the screwdriver from the sofa and going to shut it in the drawer. That was until she heard the whimper.

She bit her lip. That was a whimper before a kid started crying.

She turned round to see him sat down now, tears in his eyes, lip wobbling and trembling like he was about to break into the world biggest tantrum. But he wasn’t looking at her, just the sonic in her hand. She glanced to it and back at him. She sighed, she was about to take away part of his life. She forgot just how much he was attached to his ship and his bits of technology, it was not like he could help it, he was on his own and it was really the only thing he had left that was like family. She shut the door and went back, scooping him up and giving him back the screwdriver which he quickly held to his chest “Sorry-you can keep it, just...just don’t go dismantling things please.” She said wiping the little tear that ran down his cheek. He nodded and just settled into her shoulder. She smiled “Thought the big bad time lord didn’t like hugs?” she teased and he thumped her shoulder, “I’m not hugging, my head hurts” he muttered and she tutted carrying him into the kitchen.

“I think you hit your head on the console” she said sitting him on the counter to look at it. “I might take you to the clinic, it’s too deep to heal on its own, Gallifreyan or not, I can’t have it bleeding” she said rustling in the freezer for a little aid pack she used to keep for Archie. “What are your Doctor’s going to do, a lot of your drugs don’t work on me” he said watching her wrap the little ice pack in tissue and holding it to the cut. He winced but kept his mouth shut. “Fair point, they might want to stitch it, have you got some type of aesthetic in the T.A.R.D.IS?” she asked pulling out her phone to call for a taxi. He nodded.

40mins later Clara was sat in a taxi to the local clinic with a slightly drowsy 5 year old Time Lord on her lap. They had found an aesthetic in the medical bay and dosed him before they left, which had been a very good idea as once the nurse saw the wound she wanted it stitched, the earth local aesthetic would never have been strong enough and as soon as he was patched up she carried him out and into the shuttle bus for some shopping. “I love your little boots” she joked on the bus, tickling him. “Hey, hey no tickles!” he giggled “yeah at least she shrunk my clothes” “Talk about best dressed 5 year old ever” she smiled

“Shame she didn’t shrink your coat, though whilst were in town I thought we would do a quick run a grab you another set of clothes, maybe an extra shirt and trouser’s...just in case...” she smiled. The Doctor pouted, “I don’t want anything with frogs on” he mumbled. “I am a 2000 year old time lord I have defeated armies and aliens, I do not want things with frogs on” he stated simply shaking his head.

“Aw, don’t little ones just have the sweetest imaginations dear?” an old woman cooed behind them on the bus as she stood up to get off. Clara nodded verging on laughter. “Oh yes, yes they do, Archie loves pretend” she giggled looking down at the gawping toddler time lord. “Aliens...what a silly notions” the women laughed as she passed, The Doctor continue to stare at the woman open mouthed in part shock and offence as she left.

Then glared up at Clara, “Hey HEY, Archie?” he grumbled “No, you are not using that name, it’s not cool.” He pouted shuffling in her lap annoyed. Clara laughed, “Okay you choose, I can’t walk around calling you ‘Doctor’ people will think I’ve gone mad” The Doctor paused for a second, “Jack” he said after a moment. “Jack?” she asked quizzically, “Yeah, I had a friend called Jack, he was kind of cool, annoying but guess he was cool...he couldn’t die which I guess was cool” he answered. Clara blinked in confusion but shook her head. “Okay, so I’m calling you Jack today, just while were out in public okay?” and he nodded as they got off the bus. Clara put him down and he wobbled.

“Careful!” she laughed grabbing him again. “Sorry...I’m not used to having little legs am I?” he pouted and she scooped him back up, “fair point” she smiled looking about planning where to head first. “Anyways I like being carried” he smirked. “Well I’m not carrying you when you’re big again mister...you can forget that...’Jack’” she said poking him gently in the ribs heading towards the shopping centre.


	2. Chapter 2

There first stop was to get food.

The Doctor pulled a face at the idea of Subway nor did he fancy Hotdogs...but as they wandered along the long row of takeaway restaurants and cafe's he saw the famous golden arches.

"There!" he shouted gleefully pointing towards the MacDonald's with all the enthusiasm a 5 year old can muster. "You want MacDonald's?" Clara asked with a smile as a few people turned at his shout and smiled to the toddler in her arms.

"Yes and a milkshake, I like milkshake, I like yogurt too, don't I Clara!" he stated excited smiling as they joined the queue behind the other 3 waiting to be served.

"Yes you do like yogurt Jack" she chuckled. The wait was short and the women at the till was enamoured with the tiny TimeLord. "Hey cutie!" said the blonde women as Clara shuffled him to her other arm so she could reach for her purse.

"Hi......Julie?" he said leaning forward to read her name tag and the women practically squealed at his clothes. "I love your little waistcoat, proper little gentleman aren't you?" The Doctor giggled embarrassed and turned away, Clara reeled off the order, one double cheese burger meal, one chicken nugget happy meal, a cappuccino and a strawberry milkshake. "What's the little guys name?" Julie asked Clara as she paid for their food.

"He's called Jack, I'm babysitting while his mum's away on work" Clara lied casually jiggling the TimeLord in her arms making him stop his staring contest with the bald headed man behind them and pout adorably.

When it came to sitting at the table it took all of Clara's will power not to laugh again from the cuteness when she realized he'd need a highchair to reach the food.

"Wh-Clara nooo..." he grumbled and wriggled as she tried to get him to sit in the seat, "Oh shush, you want chicken nuggets' don't you?" He paused in his fidgeting at that comment confused and then found himself in the high chair and squeaked indigently trying to move and climb out until Clara opened the ketchup and he became distracted by dunking the nuggets in the sauce and crunching the carrot sticks, making bugs bunny jokes and staring daggers at the bald headed man again a few table across.  

As they cleaned up from eating and Clara pulled the doctor from the highchair the large bald man who'd been behind them in line came up behind Clara holding a hand behind his back.

The Doctor glared at the man viciously, or at least as viciously as a 5 year old can, wondering just what he could want until he held up the apple pie box.

The tiny TimeLord's eyes went wide at the offered treat. "A present from my girlfriend little guy, she says you won the staring contest" he chuckled as the Doctor little hand took the box carefully and hugged it to his chest. It was still warm.

"Aw, What do you say Jack?" Clara grinned as the Doctor looked partly confused and intrigued at the green box which smelt delicious.

"Thank you" he said quietly as the man gave him a pat on the head before walking away.

Clara opened the apple pie for him as they wandered into Mama's&Papa's.

"I like being little" the Doctor annoyed as he blew gently on the warm crispy sugar encrusted treat before nibbling the end. "I get free stuff"

Clara snorted and paused beside a rack of T-shirts searching through them. "It's a powerful weapon, cuteness...animals use it a lot"

"amnotcute" he mumbled around a mouthful of apple making nomming noises, this body liked apple pie.

"I'm afraid Mr Destroyer of Worlds your currently the most adorable five year old I've ever seen so deal with it" she said pulling out a dark green t-shirt with a spaceship on. "Spaceships okay?" she asked before putting it in the basket.

The Doctor nodded and continued to much the pie as they went around buying him new clothes.

"Eurgh, no purple, I don't suit purple Clara" he complained when she went to buy a packet of socks.

Putting them back she picked up the dinosaur ones instead. "These a have purple dinosaur on is that okay?"

The Doctor considered the purple Triceratops before nodded and watching her put them in the basket. "So we have T-shirts, Socks...how about dungarees?" she asked holding up the black denim kids overalls, The Time Lord pulled a face and she giggled at his pouting as she put them back and wandered towards the little suits. "Most of this was meant for weddings and such buuuuttt..." she picked out a smart navy blue suit, with little white shirt, that matched the tiny ones he was wearing. "These do?"

The Doctor reached out a tiny hand and touched the coat and nodded. "It's soft, soft is good"

PJ's were next on the list and they eventually chose a light blue pair with clouds on even though the Doctor protested he still wouldn't need to sleep. She also brought him a little dressing gown and slipper's just for the sake of taking pictures of him in it.

The store also had a big toy section which she put the TimeLord down for so he could waddle about and look for things to play with. He found a box of racing cars he liked and brought Clara a colouring book pack with pencils in that he asked for so he wouldn't get bored.

Clara couldn't say no to buying him stuff when he asked so sweetly, he seemed to have forgotten he was an alien by this point and settled for the acting as a human kid.

They visited the dry cleaners to pick up Clara's coat and then made for the supermarket for food shopping.

"He-Wha...Clara like to tell me something?" he smirked slightly when he saw her reach for a packet of teddy bear print pull up nappies.  

She rolled her eyes and dropped them in the trolley. The tiny TimeLord was currently sat in the small booster seat facing her. "There for you"

The Doctor blinked confused and scowled. "Whhy?!" he shrieked trying to turn and reach into the trolley to throw them out, but he was far too small.

"Because, little boys like you do still need to go to the toilet and I don't want to be washing sheets if you have an accident"

The Doctor gawped at her annoyed and kicked out.

"OI, none of that mister" she laughed grabbing his little leg and booping his nose to which he huffed at. "No one knows it's you, stop worrying, anyway your too small for big boys underpants so these will have to do, I can't have you walking around my flat with your cute bum on show, Danny might turn up" she chuckled and the tiny TimeLord huffed louder.

Cookies, a doughnut, packets of macaroni cheese pasta and a marvel comic later Clara was done getting dinner and they made for the tills.

She decided to put the Tiny TimeLord down on the slide for a few minutes on the park beside the shopping centre while she phoned for a taxi.

She watched him as he climbed the stairs and slid down the slide into her arms at the bottom as they waited.

"You're enjoying this..." she said as he came down into her arms for a 8th time.

The TimeLord looked embarrassed and lay his head on her shoulder. "We didn't get childhoods Clara..."

"Fair point, your species didn't seem to know the term fun huh?" she felt him sigh and turned to kiss his injured forehead gently before setting him back down to go back climbing the steps.

He was small for a 4 maybe 5 year old boy, she felt oddly protective over him when another mother appeared with her two little boys who were more 6 or 7 and smiled as he came down the slide for the 10th time and then snuggled himself into her shoulder stating he was bored of the slide now.

The ride home was quiet.

Mostly because as much as the tiny TimeLord said he wouldn't...he'd fallen asleep in her lap.

 

* * *

 

The Doctor awoke over two hours later just as dinner came round, to the smell of food. He sat up and looked about, he was on the sofa in Clara's living room under his coat, he reached up and touched the bump on his head.  

"Clara?" he called out in a rather high pitched whimper and she appeared around the door.

"Hey sweetie, feel better?" she knelt in front of the sofa and examined the bump herself.

The tiny TimeLord shook his head and Clara stroked his hair. "I'll get you some Calpol" she said  going back into the kitchen and fussing in the bags she'd got at the supermarket for the box.

"No harm to see if it works" she said as she opened the bottle and fed him the two teaspoons. The Doctor pulled a face at the taste.

"You want a cookie to make the taste go away?" she asked laughing and stood. He nodded again and she went to fetch him a cookie and a glass of milk.

They sat on the sofa watching cartoons for a bit, The Doctor snuggled into Clara's side until the phone rang.

"Hello? ...oh, hey Danny"

The tiny TimeLord whimpered when Clara jumped up from the sofa making him shuffle from his warm spot and pull his coat over himself again.

"Sure, tomorrow's fine, no no I'm free, oh were meeting Friday? That's fine, 8 will be great"

Danny seemed to have made her forget her circumstances and The Doctor glared from his spot under his warm coat.

He still didn't like Danny.

He shuffled down from the sofa and wobbled over to Clara and tugged on her sleeve, she ignored him and continued talking. He stood there with his tiny arms crossed quietly as she arranged some sort of dinner meeting and waited for her to pay attention to him.

"Okay, Okay...bye Danny"

the click of her phone caught his attention and he pulled at her sleve again.

"Uh Clara? Forget something?"

Clara paused in her text message and her eyes went wide, she turned to look down at the toddler TimeLord and gawped.

"Oh god"

"Yeah"

"Shit"

"You said a bad word!!" he cried pointing and she pocketed her phone before picking him up.

"I'm sorry, I just...looks little you'll have become a good actor real quick" she said carrying him into the kitchen.

"Why?"

She mentally slapped herself as she sat him down on a chair and made up his pasta.

"I just agreed to cook dinner for Danny tomorrow night"

"Well call and cancel"

"I can't" she sighed placing the dish in front of him and handing him a fork. "Yes you can" he huffed trying to reach for the bowl. He stood up on the chair to get a better shot.

"I can't, I've already blow off two dates and if I change my mind now it'll look like I'm not interested"

"But you were going to spend this week with me!" he protested shoving a forkful of cheesy pasta in his mouth.

She shook her head and picked him up and sat down herself so he was in her lap, "I know but, well I am with you, but it's not like we can use the TARDIS, your too small" she took the fork and set about feeding him instead.

The Doctor didn't look very happy about the idea. But he was never fond of anything that involved Danny.

"It's just dinner, It won't hurt..." she offered watching with a smile as he ate the mouthful of pasta she put to his mouth.

He just pulled a face and she continued to feed him.

"I'll take you to see the hamsters at the pet store after if you behave?" she bribed hoping it would give her luck. The Doctor looked up to her and blinked before pouting and nodded. "Okay, but no nicknames, I don't want you going all baby mush on me"

Clara smiled and fed him another mouthful of pasta before kissing his head. "Don't worry 'Jack' I won't make you put any drawings on the fridge" she laughed, tickling him and smiling as he giggled.

"You'll help me play with my cars then?" he asked with a smirk recalling the box of toy racing cars they brought.

Clara nodded as she put the fork down and offered him the glass of milk, wiping away the dribble he got his chin with the tea towel.

"Okay, we'll play with your cars before bed then..."

As he finished his dinner she worked up a plan in her head. All she had to do was keep the conversation off the toddler and stop Danny from making the Doctor act out.

That couldn't be too hard right?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny's coming for dinner, what could be worse? Maybe the truth about 'Jack'?

The night passed fitfully, Clara had left The Doctor on a little blow up mattress she found in the TARDIS at the foot of her bed, The Tiny TimeLord only waking once because of a bad dream which resulted in him sleeping in bed with Clara after the tears passed.

Getting him up though was another matter.

He was grumpy as hell the next morning, his head was still hurting and he was not pleased to find Clara telling him to change the pull up pants when she was dressing him and he ran off out of the bathroom when she took the old pulls ups off with his PJs, a game of hide and seek ensued and Clara ended up making a 3rd coffee just to cope with the tots games. Though a smile never left her lips. The cuteness was way to addictive and as much as any mother would be going mental, this was a once in a lifetime moment and she found herself enjoying it. Well, most of it.

She eventually spotted his bare bum hiding behind one of the sofas and couldn't help but laugh as he wriggled and squealed when she caught him and patted his baby soft little rear.

"Have you forgotten your 2000 years old?" she chuckled carrying him back into the bathroom with a grumpy look on his face.

"Nnnooo..." he drawled quietly his eyes going wide for a second as if realising.

As she tried once more to convince him into the pull up pants he looked down to see he was naked and half covered himself making Clara snort. "Oh come on it's so tiny I practically can't see it"

She was back to laughing now, struggling to breathe on the bathroom floor at the horror and offence on the tiny TimeLord's face, murder written in his bright blue eyes. Without his eyebrows he really struggled to look at all menacing.

Underpants on, she put him in his new shirt and trousers, he pulled on his new dinosaur socks with a 'bit' of help with a loud announcement of 'DID IT', she gently brushed his neat silver curls of hair and then she carried him into the kitchen for breakfast.

While he sat in her lap eating porridge she ran a quick email on her phone off on one of her friends asking if they still had Calvin's old highchair. Thankfully she did and she agreed to run it over to Clara's flat hearing that she was babysitting this 'other' mates baby boy and from her enthusiasm she wanted to meet 'Jack'.

Wiping the porridge off the Doctor's face when he was done she put him down to play with his cars in the living room while she put some washing on and planning for dinner.

"Clara?"

"Yes Doctor?"

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously standing by her holding the blue sport car toy as she set the table for the evening meal, he watched as she danced around the table laying knives and forks and kept changing the fold of the napkins.

"Preparing for dinner, Remember Danny's coming over"

The tiny Time Lord grumped and pulled a face. "Don't like 'im"

Clara looked over everything on the table for the fifth time before crouching down to him and he waddled into her arms.

"Why not? He's not a bad guy?" she asked smiling as she wrapped his little arms around her neck and she straightened up holding him to her in a tiny bear hug.

"Husnu'meh"

"Hmm?"

"He's not me" he said a bit louder and Clara turned him to face her to ask why that mattered but he just turned away blushing and pretended to be more interested in his toy.

She jiggled him in her arms for a moment while she thought about what he just said.

True, Danny was younger, he was handsome, had life skills...what was bad...maybe because he was human?

_All human's die at some point Clara, you all die or leave me for someone else and I'd rather see you walk away knowing I might see you again rather than you dying because of something stupid I did or you did or someone else did...I can't just change time to how ever I want, I can't be your boyfriend and I can't keep playing games with your or myself forever all because of human curiosity. Sometimes you have to make decisions, even if it's going to hurt._

Hurt?

Was he afraid Danny could hurt her? She knew the Doctor never would no matter how rude or brash he got, whether he snapped or made the wrong move she had to recall he wasn't human his feelings never came out quite right and all he wanted was the best for her, him and whatever they did.

She could leave with Danny have a normal life but he could die. Danny could die and leave her alone. He could never promise forever. In the Doctor's case he couldn't exactly die but he could promise forever if he was given chance, but also she could promise forever, she could go with him, die in some stupid accident and then leave him alone and grieving for years over someone he cared deeply about. Someone he'd gotten used to, someone who understood him.

In that moment for forgave him for everything he'd ever said about the math's teacher, for everything future wise he might say. He was just her alien version of Danny. She'd not realised she'd started crying until a small hand wiped away the first of her tears and she stopped staring at the skirting board and back to the tiny TimeLord in her arms.

He didn't say a word when he went back to hugging her. She knew he knew it too.

 

* * *

 

 

The afternoon passed in a haze of colouring, car races, hunting in the garden while she sat eating her lunch on the patio and another game of hide and seek when Clara decided to give him a bath ready for dinner. He had god knows what all over himself after he fell into the bushes at the end of the shared garden and came out holding a worm he'd dug up.

"Wha-God it's like you're actually five Doctor" she half laughed when he came back up to her covered in mud after putting the worm back at her shout. Then she remembered the witches card.

"You are, aren't you? Your you but, your minds thinking like a five year old, spacey things and the TARDIS aren't fun or exciting when you're a toddler eh?" she smiled picking him up to carry him to the bathroom as he nodded.

"I'm not 'actually' five...but...yeah..." he seemed to have lost whatever he was saying when he heard the doorbell. His concentration span was no bigger than a goldfish. Well it hardly ever was if she was honest, full grown or toddler.

Opening the door Clara found her mate with the highchair. The blonde women cooed loudly over the tiny TimeLord and the Doctor became slightly concerned that she was a Slitheen in disguise when she reminded him of Margret Blaine and wriggled and whimpered muttering about his sonic and Clara had to make an excuse that he was extremely shy around new people.

"um not shy" he said into her neck as she finally carried him into the bathroom, the women having now left and the threat somewhat dissipated.

Taking off all his little clothes again she sat him on the toilet lid with a towel while she put the dirty things in the washer and the tub filled up.

When she returned she was carrying two rubber ducks and put them in the bath for him to play with. He looked even cuter now he was swaddled in the oversized bath towel and Clara found herself baby talking him and playing tickle me Elmo with the pint sized Doctor as he giggled and flailed in her grasp.

Bath ready she added the bubbles and popped him in the warm water. For all his fusses about not wanting a bath or 'Bath's were for Human's' he seemed to enjoy splashing around and playing with the bubbles and ducks as she washed his hair and his little hands and arms of mud.

When he came out he smelt like lavender and baby powder to his dissatisfaction and complained loudly about it until she dried his hair with the blow dyer and fell asleep promptly in her bed all tuckered out.

With 'Jack' asleep for a bit Clara made herself somewhat presentable and went on making dinner, the roast was in a foil tray with carrots and potatoes already cut up inside and would only need a bit of oil before putting in the oven. She made up the rest of the vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, peas and sweet corn, before getting the gravy powder out of the cupboard and pondering what to feed the tiny TimeLord.

He couldn't eat as much as her and Danny were going to so decided to make him up some carrot sticks and oven bake some chicken nuggets, she'd put a bit of broccoli on his plate with peas and sweet corn, knowing he probably could ignore it but at least it looked healthy.

The grumpy little tot Doctor awoke about forty minutes before Danny would arrive for dinner and she redressed him in his old shirt and trousers that she'd washed. He decided against socks this time and sat in his little dressing gown on her sofa watching cartoon while she finished cooking.

She couldn't miss the dark glare he shot at Danny over the top of the sofa when the math's tutor knocked and opened the door, carrying a bottle of wine and chocolates.

He was fighting back a rather vicious tantrum when she kissed him, he was more jealous than he'd ever been of a companion and in this body containing self decorum was much more difficult. Because the anger merged into sadness and when you're a toddler...it's much harder to NOT start crying.

He still didn't say anything when Danny finally spotted him.

"Oh, hey little guy, Clara you never told me your were babysitting?" Danny said surprised as he smiled over to the tiny TimeLord as he put the wine down on the hall table.

"Oh god, yeah, I literally got the phone call an hour after you rang, 'Jack's mum has had to go out of town for meeting so I promised to take of him until Friday when's she's back, he's not much hassle, but he just a little too cutie" she coo's scooping up the Doctor from his spot and kissing his cheek making him pull a face.

 _Clara! I said no baby talking!_ the Doctor's inner monologue was going to be ranting furiously tonight he was sure of it.

"You should have called me back, we could have done this next week" Danny offered shrugging his coat off and going close to the pair. The Doctor tried harder to glare yet it just caused his cheeks to look chubbier and earnt himself a hair ruffle from the other teacher.

Clara was more than certain the Doctor wished he could fire laser beams from his eyes right now.

"No, No it's okay, he'll fall asleep after dinner anyway so it'll be fine" she said staring more or less all chocolate eyes at Danny when he smiled. "Dinner smells good, what we having?" he asked as they made into the kitchen.

"Roast Chicken with stuffing and veggies"

"Marks and Spencer's?" he laughed and Clara laughed back. "You know it"

 _Urgh, this is worse than teen daytime dramas!_ The Doctor thought when Clara finally put him down to play with his cars again. He continued to drive the cars around the little race track trying more or less to ignore the brainless chatter about school and students, about some TV series called Game Of Thrones and some story about Danny's mothers cat and a vase.

All the while Clara's laugh got sillier, her stare got more intent, Danny's hands got closer to her and their voices lowered into want could only be that of a 'making a move'.

The TimeLord wiped his head around when the talk did stop to catch Clara about to kiss the math teacher again but she stopped and blushed and made an excuse to get dinner finished when she saw him scowling.

As Danny went to get up and join her his hand landed on the Doctor's now oversized coat.

"Hey...Clara, isn't this The Doctor's?2 he called and she popped her head around the door.

"Oh"   _Think Fast, Think Fast!_ "Ye-Yeah he was here a day or so ago and left it behind in rush, he'll come back for it at some point" she lied glancing to the tiny TimeLord who was now purposely trying to ignore her and starting the to bang the cars on the race track in annoyance. She went back into the kitchen as a pan started boiling over.

"I'll hang it up then" Danny offered but just as he did the sonic fell from the pocket and clunked loudly on the floor. The Doctor dropped his toy car and scrambled wobbly for the sonic but he was too slow as Danny bent and picked it up looking concerned about the object.

"Not for you lil guy, I don't think alien technology is for five year olds...especially when it can blow stuff up" he muttered carrying the coat into the hall and hanging it up.

The Doctor watched upset and concerned as Danny then took the sonic into the kitchen and put the screwdriver in a drawer out of the way. That tantrum I mentioned earlier, was now several levels into ultimate screaming fest.

As he went to complain and storm into the kitchen to reach for the drawer he froze in the hallway watching as Danny wrapped his arms around Clara's wait from behind and kissed her.

After spending the last two days of being fussed and cared for, he now felt very put out. Here he was in a rather awkward situation having been cursed and Clara was fumbling it up locking lips with another human seemingly with no concerns that this spell might have side effects and that the Doctor might need watching or suddenly feel ill because, well Danny was her boyfriend.

He stormed back into the living room as hot tear welled up in his eyes and he clambered back onto the sofa to curl up against a cushion now missing the warmth and protection of his jacket.

He was considering trying to go back to sleep so he didn't have to suffer listening to Danny and Clara any more when Clara came back in the room looking for him.

"Come on Jack, Dinner Time" but as she tried to pick him up he wriggled and grunted smacking her hand away upset, the tears breaking free rolled down his cheeks making Clara grab him more roughly and pull him up into her arms shushing him.

"Hey, hey, come on, it's okay, it's only din-" Clara cut herself off as Danny appeared in the doorway, "-going to be until Friday, mommy will be back soon"

The look the tiny TimeLord gave her didn't fill her with any confidence that he wasn't about to get mean. But when he huffed and looked away she guessed he was just fed up with the sudden lack of attention.

"Not away from his mum much eh?" Danny asked as Clara placed the tot in the borrowed high chair.

"er, No, ..N...Nancy, loves him too much to go away on business often but this was a big meeting and she had to risk the few nights so she wouldn't have to go away longer at some point"

The Doctor's loud sniff broke her train of thought and she watched him stab a carrot stick into a chicken nugget like a mini knife.

She let the conversation drop and steered the chat away from the toddler so he could eat in peace.

They'd almost finished dinner when Danny mentioned the night on the Orient Express.

"I actually expected you to come back and say you were bored of earth and you'd been banging him" he joked making Clara gag on her wine but as she went to respond the Doctor finally spoke up.

"She'd have been better off if she had"

Danny almost gawped at the toddler in shock and cocked his head as if trying to guess whether he had just said that or he'd been hearing things.

"Jack!" Clara gasped having not helped the situation making it clear he had just spoken and not ignored it. She was then left staring at Danny who was looking at her in confusion.

"How old is he?" Danny asked calmly thinking perhaps he'd been put off guessing his age seeing he was so small.

"Five"

"Two Thousand"

Clearly the Doctor had done 'playing' baby and folding his little arms in a huff glaring daggers at both of them as if to say a rather big F and U.

"Clara..."

"Yeah?" It looked to be than Danny was slowly working out the situation as the toddler spoke up again.

"You might as well tell the chocolate pudding brain"

Yep, Danny was now looking serious about the fact he now knew that Jack was in fact The Doctor but started laughing at the comment.

"Was that meant to be an insult?" he asked chuckling as Clara pulled the Doctor from his high chair.

"Take it how you want your still a pudding brain" he snapped back.

Danny was now laughing harder and shook his head. "Wh-Why all the act?, What happened?" he asked sitting back in his chair smiling as if the situation was utterly hilarious.

"Oh I'm glad to see your both taking this seriously" the tiny TimeLord growled and thumped Clara in the shoulder wanting to be put down.

"Ow, Stop it! Doctor, calm down"

"He took my sonic"

"I don't care just ca-"

"I WANT MY SONIC"

Clara ears rang horribly at the shriek and almost dropped the Doctor as he kicked and fought to be put down.  

That tantrum now having peaked and in full swing.

Danny moved quickly his maternal instinct flaring up and took the crying tot in his arms and made for the kitchen hushing him.

"Alright, alright, Doc, look I put it in here" Danny opened the drawer and gave it to the TimeLord who just hugged it to his chest protectively. Now up closer Danny saw the little white shirt and trousers under the dressing gown and placed him down on the kitchen counter looking him up and down.

"Now care to explain what happened" he smirked as the tears dried.

"He got cursed"

Danny turned to see Clara in the doorway holding her teddy bear, the one The Doctor had been cuddling last night when he had a bad dream.

His blue eyes went wide at the bear and gratefully took it when she offered it to him.

"Cursed...by what?" Danny looked confused at the small TimeLord and felt concerned that it was irreversible.

"By a Witch...he went to a Halloween planet for a part for the TARDIS and managed to somehow insult one of the locals, turns who she was actually a witch and she turned him into a child for acting like one" She sighed as Danny wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Is it permanent?"

"No thankfully, but he'll be like this for 3 more days, well at least what the witch said for all we know he could be stuck like this till he learns something"

Danny looked back to the Doctor sadly, feeling sorry for him and Clara right now. If he knew anything The Doctor meant a lot to her, that and the TimeLord meant a lot to this planet. He'd found hundreds of documents and sightings, mentioned of the TimeLord though earth's history and the amount of times he prevented the human race being wiped out made him more or less respect the fact the man was at least trying to be useful.

Shame he just had an attachment to his girlfriend.

"Have you tried...I don't know calling his people? Can't they fix it?"

Clara went to say she'd tried but The Doctor just glared and spoke first.

"Gallifrey's gone"

Danny looked confused. "How you mean gone?"

"It was lost in a war, I'm the only one left outside the damaged timeline"

Realisation flickered in Danny's eyes for a moment before he turned to Clara. "He's on his own?"

"Yes, it's one of the reason's I got stuck wanting to travel" she admitted. "Being the only one left of his species can't be much fun, he gains lots of people to travel with, mostly because we're like his people, but it's not just that, it's what he's see's, what we see...the planets he runs through and has to rescue"

Danny looked saddened by this news.

"Has to?"

"Well I failed to save my own planet might as well try being useful somewhere" The Doctor muttered

The silence that fell over the kitchen just bled the aura of misunderstandings, of wonderment and confusion.

Danny seemed to make a decision and picked up the TimeLord making him blink in further confusion. "Well, guess we better make the best of this eh? Guess one good turn deserves another"

"You don't need to help us, I think we got this..." Clara said seeing that Danny was planning on helping here.

"No, it's okay, I might as well hang about, he did save us from a robot and from a solar flare...and other times...least I can do is help look after him till it's over" Clara smiled rather thankful she had some help, but The Doctor didn't seem impressed nor taken with the idea.

"You could just leave me back in the TARDIS, she can take care of me" he said trying to change settings on the sonic but it was too bit for his hands to work out.

"Ohhh no way...you'll probably hurt yourself" Clara said taking the tot from Danny and jiggling him on her hip. "Plus, she's still trying to repair after she landed, we can look after you"

The Doctor looked between her and Danny before huffing and giving in.

"Does he need any stuff? I mean I can go down to the shopping centre, it's still early" Danny offered looking up at the clock.

Clara shook her head. "I got most things yesterday, spare clothes and toys so he'll be alright, he just needs attention,  he get bored easy"

The Doctor pouted at that comment and Clara kissed his forehead. They left the tiny TimeLord on a chair in the kitchen as they cleared up.  Danny having a lot of fun asking the Doctor math problems and watching his face screw up in thought.

"Three Hundred and....eleven?"

Clara checked it on her phone and smirked. "Right again"

"Damn, I'm losing this bet"

When Clara took a Chocolate cake out of the fridge Danny made a face of pain. "Ou, Don't think I got room for that"  

The Doctor on the other hand was more than interested in the sweet treat.

"Tell you what Doc, tell me the first 12 numbers of pie and you can have my piece" he smirked guessing it would be an easy challenge.

" 3.14159 26535 8....9" Just to be a smart ass he said 13.

Danny rolled his eyes and took the little plate of cake Clara was holding. "Alright you win, come on let's go watch TV eh?" he offered scooping the tot into one arm and carrying him into the living room. He sat the Doctor in his lap and grabbed the remote flicking the movie channels.

"What you want to watch? Bee Movie or...Ratatouille?" he asked as Clara joined them on the sofa with 2 cups of tea and her own cake.

"Rataoullie!...I know mice people who are good chefs" The Doctor said still eyeing the cake Danny had sat beside him wondering when he would be allowed it.

Clara giggled at the roll of her boyfriends eyes and he pressed play.

The show was already fifteen minutes in but no one minded , Clara was more or less watching Danny feed the tiny TimeLord chocolate cake. He seemed to be tolerating the math's teacher a bit more now he was not getting all alpha male and arguing about being a solider.

By the time cake was done and the movie finished the Doctor had indeed begun to yawn and Clara went to take him from Danny to put to bed.

"I can do it, why don't you make another cuppa we can watch that episode of G.O.T" he smiled and she grinned back.

"Sure"

"But-I-ur-" the Doctor complained but was over taken by another yawn.

"Come on Doctor, you're tired, bed time"

He helped change him into his PJ's and tucked him in the sheets on the mattress at the foot of Clara's bed and put the side lamp on.

He stay knelt by the bed while the tot wriggled to get comfy.

"You know I remember that night right?" he asked and the Doctor looked confused.

"In the home, when you and Clara turned up, that thing in my bed you scared away, I was only a kid, I didn't have much of childhood either" he sighed and the Doctor looked away.

"TimeLord subjects are taken from homes at ten to start initiation...I didn't see my mother again till I was in my thirties and even then it was when I got married...never saw her again after, the academy wouldn't let me"  

Ten?!

Danny look surprised. "So you never got cared for, fussed over, taken to the park?" he asked with a sigh knowing just how horrible it felt when he see's kid with their parents now.

The Doctor shook his head and Danny ruffled his hair as he settled down.

"Eh, I'll let you get away with being five then, but no more tantrums mister"

The Doctor just scowled and rolled away from him and Danny laughed.

"Night Night 'Jack' "

As Danny went to shut the door he heard something he never expected.

"Goodnight Mr Pink"


End file.
